Sliding-valve explosion-motor.



S. A. REEVE.

SLIDING VALVE EXPLOSION MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUN: 1o, |909.

L, Patented @11.25, 1916.

s, A. HEEVE.

SLIDING VALVEEXPLOSIQN MOTOR.

wanted @11.251916 APPLICATION FILED JUNE I0, |909.

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S. A. REEVE.

SLIDING VALVE EXPLOSION MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED :uns Io, 1909.

Patened Jan. 25, 1916.

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UMTFAB STATES @FFllQE-t SIDNEY A. REEVE, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO CHARLES W. BROWN, TRUST EE, OFPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SLIDING-VALVE EXPLOSION-MOTOR.

Application filed June 10, 1

To all atv/wm t vmay concern.'

Be it known that l, SIDNEY A. Rnnvn, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSliding-Valve Explosion-Motors, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to internal-combustion motors having one or morecylindrical slide-valves alined with the cylinder bore, and itsprincipal object is to simplify the arrangements heretofore proposedwhile retaining the main advantages of the type.

A further object is to secure a better mechanical expulsion of burntgases, improved charge-inspiration, etc.

My invention consists in certain combinations of individually-aetingvalves, one or more of which is a slide-valve of the kind mentioned, andit further consists in improvements in the valves and their relatedparts, and in devices for automatically yaryiring the cylinderclearance, preferably by means of an inwardly-opening admissionslide-valve.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical sectionalview of a fourcycle motor constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2represents a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 represents a horizontalsection on the line 3&3 of Fig. 1. Iig.` 4 is a graphic representationof the relative displacements during the tour phases. Figs. 5-10inclusive represent sectional diagrams showing` the. valve motions. Fig.11 represents a diagram of the exhaust-valve motion. Fig. 12 representsa diagrammatic sectional view showing a modification. Fig. 13 representsa diagram ot' the inlet-valve motion of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 represents asectional view of another modilication. Fig. 15 represents a detail viewof the valves and connections of this modification, taken in a plane atright-angles to Fig. 18. Fig. 16 represents a diagram of thevalve-motion for Figs. 14 and 15, showing the admission phase.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, 10 is the 'cylinder or casing having awater-jacket 12; -13 1s the piston,

14- the connecting-rod, 15 the crank, 16 the crank-shaft, and 17 thehalf-speed shaft mounted parallel with the Specification of LettersPatent.

Iiatented Jan. 25, 1916. 909. Serial No. 501,263.

crank-shaft and operated therefrom by a train of spur gearing '18, 19,20.

21 is an exhaust slide-valve in the form of a sleeve concentric witl thepiston and constituting the barrel in which said piston slides, thissleeve being reciprocated between the piston and cylinder by means of adriving connection from the inner or crank end of the sleeve to thehalt-speed shaft, said connection consisting preferably of a shortpitxnan 22 connected by one end with a crankpin 2l on the haltspeedshaft and by the other end with a lever 23 hung on fulcrumlinks 32 andpivoted by trunnions to the valve 21. This valve acts individually andnot jointly with another valve in controlling the motor exhaust. ltmight be mounted and driven in various ways although I pre- 'ler thatherein shown, and I also prefer a sleeve valve having an open end in thecombustion chamber, as shown; that is, a free annular edge exposed tothe cylinder pressure so that the valve is slightly unbalanced. Thisshortens the motor and saves a packed or telescoped guide for the valveon the opposite end of the combustionchamber from the end where thepresent Vvalve enters.

25 is an exhaust-port extending entirely around the cylinder anduncovered by the sleeve-valve 21 at the lower end of the latterstravelas indicated by the shaded area in Fig. 11, wherein the numerals1, 2, 3, and 4 indicates the positions ofthe half-speed eranlcpin 2st-atthe beginning of the admission, compression, expansion, and exhauststrokes oi the piston, respectively. The exhaust-valve is open duringslightly more than the lower quadrant of the halfspeed shaft, or thedistance between the lines BB and CC. the distance between AA and BBrepresenting the entire travel of the valve.

33 is a piston inlet-valve mounted in line with the cylinder bore andalso acting individually to control a cylinder-admission port 38 whicheircnmscribes the cylinder axis and is interrupted by suitable guides toretain the valve packing-rings. This valve has both lower and upperrings 34, `and an intermediate groove 3G communicating with ports 37formed in the cylinder wall above the combustion-chamber,for leading thecharge to the valve. This valve constitutes a special form of freepiston operated by tluidand inertia-forces and controlled by a systemot' linkage. This valve and linkage is somewhat similaiin appearance tothat of my Patent 880,824, but in reality differs from it basically. Myearlier invention, disclosed in my said patent, was an outwardlycpeninguvalve adapted for use in steam engines and compressors,I whereinheavy unbalanced pressure was to be sus- .tained by t ggle-linkageextended into dead center positlon at one extreme of its motion y only,i. e., the inner cxtreme. My present invention is for a valve adapted tosustain unbalanced pressure at both of its extremes of motion. Besidesacting as a valve, this free piston 33 acts to reduce thecylinderclearance during exhaust and to enlarge it during compressionand expansion, thereby securing a better mechanical expulsion of burntgases, a slnaller volume of discharge relatively to the final volume ofexpansion, and other incidental advantages.

39 is a link attached by one end to the valve '33 and by the other endto a crank 40 mounted on a rock-shaft l1 and having a semicircularthrow. This crank and link constitute a toggle which alternately foldsand straightens at the extremes of the valve movement in obedience totluid land inertia forces, and brings i't quietly to rest without shock.Vith the toggle is combined a spring 45 which acts with infinitemechanical advantage on the valve at both ends of the latters stroke andnormally tends to hold the valve in an intermediate position.

This spring surrounds a stud 46 and is connected with an arm -il2 on thecrank-shaft by a tension link 43 and an arm 4H attached to the tensionAlink and to the spring and loose on the stud 4G. The tension of spring45 is exerted in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2.

47 is a spark plug which enters the cylinder opposite the untraveledspace between piston 13, valve 21 and valve 33.

The motions of both valves will be readily understood from Figs. 5-10.Fig. 5 represents the end of. exhaust and beginning ot' admission, valve21 being on its 11p-stroke and valve 33 on its down-stroke.v In Fig. 6the admission-port is shown wide open with the admission-valve at thelower extreme of its movement and the exhaust valve still movingupwardly. In Fig. 7 the admission valve ha's started to move upwardly toclose its port and the exhaust-valve is practically at the top ot' itsstroke. Explosion occurs with the parts positioned as shown in Fig. 8.the exhaust-valve being then a short way on its down-strek* and theadmission valve at the top ot' its upstroke. In Fig. 9 the exhaust-portbegins to open, and in Fig. 10 it is fully open and the admission-valvestarts to descend. It will be understood that (disregarding the angularinertia of the parts) the toggle 39, 40 will be unable to quitestraighten in either direction owing to the infinite mechanicaladvantage which the toggle possesses over the valve at the ends of thelatters stroke.

By reason of the stroke and dimensions of the admission valve, thelatter, in opening its port, is caused to mechanically displacepractically all of the remnant of burnt gases which ordinarily cannotbereached. T,he resulting advantages are well known.

In Fig. 1 I have represented graphically the net volumetricdisplacements of the working piston' and the two valves during the fourphases of the motor, taking for an example substantially the relativedimensions and strokes of these parts as shown in the drawings.Reckoning the displacement during the suction stroke as 100%, thedisplacement during compression will then be 01%, during expansion 113%,and during exhaust 1497-, indicating an expansion to a greater volumethan the volume of the charge at the beginning of compression, and apractically'complete expulsion of dead gases.

Fig. 12 represents a double modification consisting first 'in the upwardextension of the exhaust-valve 21 to guide the inletvalve 33 andcoperate with it in controlling admission; and secondly, insubstantially reproducing by means of a positive valve-drive the motionsof the free piston valve ot' Figs. 1-10. The sleeve valve 21 is formedwith ports 3S whose lower lips act the same as the upper lip of thevalve 21 previously described, and whose upper lips act in conjunctionwith the admission valve 33 to'close the cylinder admission throughthese ports. T he admission-valve is shown without its upper rings andconnected with a crank 53 on the half-speed shaft through the link 39,va rock arm 49 within the admission chamber 50 inclosed by the cylindercover, an outer rock arm 51, and a link 52. Fig.. 13 representssubstantially the action otl valve 33. Its openingtakes place duringslightly more than one ot' Vthem'e'nd quadrants ot the crank Duringcompression the valve is moving outwardly to form a compression spaceand reaches its upper limit at or just before the time the exhaust valveopens, assuming considerable advance opening for the latter. During? theexhauststroke, valve 33n displaces the clearance gases to the extent otabout 88% of the displacement attained by the free piston arrangement.(.)bviously the valve ot' Fig. 12 could be used with the fixed:ulmission-ports ot' Figs. 1-10 and the tree piston-valve ot thc latterviews vcould be used with the exhaust-valve extension and movableadmission-ports of Fig. 12.

admissionl A free piston-valve of the character described might beemployed without substantial alteration to control the cylinderadmissionor charge transfer of a two-cycle explosion-motor.

It is characteristic of the above-described forms of my invention toemploy the combination of circum-axial inlet and outlet ports (z'. e.ports concentric with or circumscribing the cylinder axis) in diiferentzones of the cylinder, thereby securing the advantages of large anddirect openings, large valves, a pocketless combustion-chamber, directdriving connections from the half-speed shaft to one or both of thevalves, and It will. however, be understood that the inlet and outletports may be made to extend only part way around the cylinder, itdesired.

Figs. 14.-, 15, and 16 rep'resent a modification having the same generalcharacteristics as the motor of Fig. 12 but in this case both the pistonvalve 33h and the sleeve valve 2lb are mounted in the cylinder-head anddirectly driven from an overhead half-speed shaft 17b by means of cranks53 and 24h and connecting-rods 39band 221. The exhaust-port 25 ishereclosed by a` downward movement of the cut-oit lip on the sleevevalve and said valve is provided with extensions 55 for retaining therings of the piston valve. the cyl-index' inlet-ports being formed bythe eut-off lip 54 and the sides of the extensions Various other changesin embodiment may be made without departing from my invention.

It will be noted that the slide-valves herein shown and described serveto entirely overcome the use of puppet valves with their many attendantdrawbacks.

I claim:

1. ln an explosion motor, the combination of a combustion Cylinderhaving inlet and exhaust ports circumscribing its axis, a workingpiston, and an individually-acting valve controlling each of said ports,atleast one of which is a tubular slide-valve, reciprocated in line withthe cylinder bore and the other of which works within said tubularslide-valve.

2. In a four-cycle explosion motor, the combination of a cylinder havingcircumferential admission and exhaust ports in difi'm'ent Zones, aworking piston, a single axizillv-movable halt-speed sleeve valvesurrounding the piston and reciprocating between the piston and thecylinder wall and controlling the exhaust-port. and an independent valvemounted on the cylinder and controlling the admission-port.

3. ln a foursevcle explosion motor, the combination of a combustioncylinder having circumferential admission and exsubstantiallypermissibly, independent valves.

'combination of a vCylinder-having circumhaust ports in different zones,a working piston, a half-speed sleeve valve surrounding the piston andreciprocating between the cylinder and piston and controlling theexhaust-port, said valve having an open end in the eombustionchamber,and an independent half-speed valve controlling the admission-port.

4. ln ay four-cycle explosion motor, the combination of a cylinderhaving circumaxial admission and exhaust ports in dilerent zones, aworking piston, and independent half-speed cylindrical slide-valvescontrolling the respective ports, the exhaust valve being' an unbalancedsleeve reciprocated axially between the piston and cylinder.

5. In a four-cycle explosion motor, the combination of a cylinder andpiston, and independent cylindrical admission and exhaust slide-valvesreciprocated in line with the cylinder bore, the admission-valve beingunbalanced and opening inwardly.

6. In a four-cycle explosion motor, the

axial admission and exhaust ports'in different Zones, and independentaxially-reciprocating slide-valves controlling the respective ports, theexhaust valve being an unbalanced sleeve interposed between the pistonand cylinder, and the admission-valve being an inwardly-openingunbalanced piston.

7. ln an explosion motor, the combination with the piston, ot' a freepiston forming one wall of the combustion chambe and means for arrestingthe free piston gradually, comprising linkage reaching a dead-centerposition at each end of the stroke of the free piston.

8. In lan explosion motor, the combination with the combustion-cylinderand working piston, of a fluid-operated unbalanced piston formingonewall of the combustionchamber, a pair of links forming a toggle which isalternately folded and extended by said fluid-operated piston toarrestthe same in both directions without shock, and a spring combined withthe toggle for normally holding the iuid-operated valve in anintermediate position.

9. In a tour-c vyfcle explosion motor, the combination with thecylinder-'and working piston, ot' an inwardly-openingfluid-operatedunbalanced piston admission-valve and means tor controlling the movementof said valve. to etlect the substantial displacement of the volume ofthe combustion-chamber during exhaust.

l0. ln an explosion motor, the combination with the cylinder and workingpiston,

of an inwardly-opening Huid-operated unbalanced piston admission-valvefor said cylinder, and toggle mechanism for arresting said valve shock.

at both extremes without 11. In a four-cycle explosion motor, the

admission-valve for said cylinder adapted to retreat under risingcompression-pressure to form a suitable combustion-space and to returnagainst falling exhaust pressure to displace the volume or' said spaceduring eX,- haust, and means for gradually arresting said valve,comprising linkage reaching a dead-center position at each of its twoeX- tremes of motion.

12. In a four-cycle explosion motor, the combination with theworkingcylinder and piston, of an inwardly-opening Huid-operated unbalancedpiston admission-valve for said cylinder, means for gradually arrestingthe valve comprising linkage reaching a dead-center position at eacheXtreme of its motion and elastic means for normally holding the linkageoff deadeenter.

13. ln a four-cycle explosion motor, the

combination of cylinder,working piston and shaft with a half speed shaftand a sleevevalve controlled thereby; an inwardly open-- ing freepiston-valve forming one`wa-ll 'of the combustion chamber andlinkage'reaeh-l ing a dead-center position on each of its' two' extremesof motion, for gradually*arrestingthe motion of the said freepiston-valverelatively to the said sleeve-valve. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set

